Sandy Springs will demolish a 51-year-old fire station and build a $21.7 million replacement on a 6.6-acre stretch of Roswell Road south of I-285, after the City Council and Public Facilities Authority unanimously approved $50.5 million in revenue bonds on Aug. 5, according to Appen Media.

The new Fire Station 4 at 5275 Roswell Road, between Beachland and Green Hills roads, will be a two-story, 21,618-square-foot station with three drive-through apparatus bays, decontamination spaces, training areas and living quarters for 24-hour staffing. A separate 11,561-square-foot logistics building will sit on the same parcel, along with parking, stormwater infrastructure and landscaping.

The city's project page lists construction beginning in fall 2026 with completion by December 2027. However, Rough Draft Atlanta reported the contractor's guaranteed maximum price isn't due until Nov. 17, with construction on Stations 1 and 4 set to begin in January 2027.

The project management team's combined cost estimate for Stations 1 and 4 is $38.2 million, up from $37.6 million in May. Fire Station 4's budget alone is $21.7 million. The city still needs $2.3 million to fund renovations at Fire Station 3 on Raider Drive.

Why the move matters

The current Fire Station 4, built in 1975 at 4697 Wieuca Road, sits roughly 1,000 feet inside Atlanta's city limits. Sandy Springs is obligated to cover fire calls in parts of north Buckhead extending south to Pharr Road from that location. City officials have said relocating the station within Sandy Springs should reduce response times and costs, according to WSB-TV.

The Public Facilities Authority purchased the Roswell Road site on July 15, 2025, for $10 million.

Neighbor concerns

Sandy Springs homeowner Janet Wells, who lives off Beachland Drive behind the site, told the council she and her neighbors worry about construction impacts and evening disruptions. Wells proposed limiting the build to the fire station near Roswell Road, where a former strip club once stood, and moving the fueling station and training towers away from residences.

"This is the first time I've ever been up against City Hall. I've always been up against developers," Wells said at the Aug. 5 meeting.

Paying for it

Moody's assigned an Aaa credit rating to $48.5 million in project bonds backing the overhaul. The city structured the financing through its Public Facilities Authority. City Manager Eden Freeman told the council the authority acts as the city's "holding company" for longer-term leases.

City staff estimated the first-year debt payment at $3 million, with that amount expected to drop nearly in half after the council refinances previous 2015 and 2020 debt issuances. That process is expected to begin in September.

Financial advisor David Cheatwood of First Tryon Advisors estimated Sandy Springs could issue around $75 million in total bonds after fiscal year 2025, meaning $20 million to $30 million in additional borrowing capacity remains.

Council Member John Paulson said the investment is overdue. "Where were we in 1968? Many of us weren't even born," he said, referencing Fire Station 1's original construction date.

What's next on Roswell Road

As we reported Aug. 6, the city also closed a $465,000 right-of-way deal enabling 850 feet of new sidewalk on Roswell Road. Construction on that streetscape section is expected to begin this fall, meaning the corridor between Beachland and Green Hills roads will see significant activity into 2027.

The contractor's guaranteed maximum price is due Nov. 17. Dave Wells, the city's director of facilities, capital construction and building operations, is overseeing the project.